How to enter section properties for a non-standard or built-up shape as a User Table of type "General".
A User Table of type "General" does not have any particular shape associated with it, allowing for section properties to be arbitrarily defined. As such, if you have a non-standard or built-up section for which the properties are known, such a table can be used to easily enter these properties using the following procedure:
1. Go to the Specification tab at the top of the screen.
2. Underneath, expand the User Table menu downward and choose "User Table Manager" as shown below:
3. In the dialog box that appears, use the Select Section Type menu to choose "General":
4. Click OK.
5. In the dialog box that appears, click "Add":
6. You will see a new window appear in which the general section can be defined. Make sure to give it a name in the field to the upper-right, then enter the section properties underneath:
7. Click OK.
8. You will return to the previous dialog box. Click Close.
9. Go to the Properties - Whole Structure dialog box, then click "User Table".
10. In the window that appears, select your section name and click Add:
11. From here the section can be assigned to members just like any other.
**Note - if the section properties are unknown, you can use the "Define Profile Polygon" option do draw the cross-section and compute them as described in the following wiki:
Create section by specifying Profile Points - RAM | STAAD | ADINA Wiki - RAM | STAAD | ADINA - Bentley Communities